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Good Samaritan and God's Mercy

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by webdog, Jan 13, 2006.

  1. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    (HCSB)Luk 10:30 Jesus took up the question and said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
    Luk 10:31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
    Luk 10:32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
    Luk 10:33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
    Luk 10:34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
    Luk 10:35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him. When I come back I'll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.'
    Luk 10:36 "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
    Luk 10:37 "The one who showed mercy to him," he said. Then Jesus told him, "Go and do the same."

    Reading this, I recall the argument calvinist's use in Romans how God selects who to bestow mercy upon... Rom 9:15 For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
    Rom 9:16 So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy .

    This passage is used as a proof text that God selects some from damnation to save, while leaving the rest on the road to destruction because "He can".

    I did a study on God's "mercy", the same mercy shown in the good samaritan story. Mercy is found over 100 times throughout the Bible. Jesus tells us that we are to have mercy one to another in the same manner the samaritan showed mercy. This is interesting because God tells us we are to have the mind of Christ in 1 Corinthians. He would not tell us something, and do the exact opposite. What then are the requirements of showing mercy? First, there has to be an object of that mercy.

    Luk 1:50 His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him .

    This shows that God shows mercy on those who fear him. This leaves out mercy being given for no reason to some, and witheld from others based on no factor.

    2Ch 30:9 for when you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will receive mercy in the presence of their captors and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful ; He will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him ."

    What is the reason for the Lord's mercy in the above?

    Rom 11:30 As you once disobeyed God, but now have received mercy through their disobedience ,
    Rom 11:31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy .
    Rom 11:32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all .

    Again, the above shows who God will show mercy to...ALL. I am not insinuating universalism, but all those who meet God's requirements shown throughout the Scriptures. Other verses...

    Eph 2:4 But God, who is abundant in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,

    Jam 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment .

    Isa 30:18 Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy , and is rising up to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God . Happy are all who wait patiently for Him

    (BTW...why is the Lord "waiting" to show mercy, if He does so with no conditions attached?)

    Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy

    Mat 9:13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."

    If God desires mercy for all...why, according to calvinism, does God select some and not others based on no condition? God came to "call sinners". Romans 3:23 tells us that ALL are sinners.

    Mat 23:23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy , and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

    Did God just "neglect" to show mercy to the reprobate under calvinism? He lists mercy as an important matter of the law along with justice. Does God "woe" Himself for failing to show those mercy to those other than the nebulous group calvinism calls the "elect"?

    105 times mercy is listed in God's Word, accompanied by a condition: NEED. We are all in need of God's mercy, and it is evident that God does not arbitrarily show mercy to some while witholding mercy to others "just because" as is so wrongly exegeted from Romans 9, but on the condition of what we do with His Son.
     
  2. jw

    jw New Member

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    Basically this boils down to you still refusing to recognize the hopelessly sinful condition of man that has been pointed out in every other thread. Instead of answering the questions posed to you, you start a new thread where the questions have not yet been asked.
     
  3. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    This is you basically not having a meaningful response to this thread. :rolleyes: I am not discussing other thread's here. Do not hijack this thread with your false accusations.
     
  4. jw

    jw New Member

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    1. Romans 9 does not say "just because". It doesn't say it is "arbitrary" either. It just doesn't say. It says God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy.

    2. If the Calvinsit get it so wrong, please give us the proper exegesis of this verse.
     
  5. Benjamin

    Benjamin Well-Known Member
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    True Webdog,

    God is more just and righteous than man and has given us examples of what just, righteousness and mercy are; so how could He be less merciful beats me.

    (Deu 32:4) He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

    (Job 4:17) Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
     
  6. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Let Bible explain Bible...Mat 9:13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners." Who, then, does God show mercy to? Those who answer God's "call".

    Who are the sinners God "calls"? Romans 3:23 will give you the answer. This goes against reformed theology in that reformers believe God only calls the righteous (elect)
     
  7. jw

    jw New Member

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    Let Bible explain Bible...Mat 9:13 Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners." Who, then, does God show mercy to? Those who answer God's "call".

    Who are the sinners God "calls"? Romans 3:23 will give you the answer. This goes against reformed theology in that reformers believe God only calls the righteous (elect)
    </font>[/QUOTE]That isn't exegesis. You didn't explain the passage, you ripped other passages, from other books, and other authors from their contexts and applied their meanings to Romans 9. Explain Romans 9 in context of Romans 9 - how it fits into the argument of Romans as a whole. That is exegesis.
     
  8. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Before one can exegete something, you have to rightly divide it. Romans 9 as a whole fits into the scope of the other 66 books.
     
  9. Ransom

    Ransom Active Member

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    Romans 9 as a whole fits into the scope of the other 66 books.

    Romans 9 as a whole fits first into the scope of Romans. Start there, then worry about how it fits with the rest of the Bible. Proper hermeneutics start close to the text and work outwards.
     
  10. jw

    jw New Member

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    As Ransom said above, you must first fit a passage into its immediate context, then into the context of the chapter, then into the context of the book, then into the context of the Bible as a whole.

    Suppose I interpreted other things in the Bible your way.

    In Mat 14:30 Peter said, "...Lord, save me."
    John 3:16 talks about salvation of the soul.
    Romans 10:9 talks about salvation of the soul.

    Therefore, Peter was obviously praying for salvation of his soul. :rolleyes:

    Do you see what gross error this kind of "word study" leads to when you ignore context?

    Please exegete Romans 9, from the context of Romans 9 and explain how it fits into Romans as a whole.
     
  11. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    This thread isn't about exegeting Romans 9, or Romans 9 in general. If you want to start a thread on the book of Romans, go ahead. Do not hijack this thread on God's mercy. discuss the topic at hand.
     
  12. Ransom

    Ransom Active Member

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    This thread isn't about exegeting Romans 9, or Romans 9 in general.

    You are the one who raised Romans 9 in your very first post, as part of your argument. If you failed to exegete Romans 9 properly, it weakens your argument. Therefore, the proper interpretation of Romans 9 is most germane to your discussion of God's mercy. (Or is it just "humanistic reasoning" to think that something you post might have to do with your point?)
     
  13. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    Ransom, I brought up Romans 9 not as a part of my argument, but as an argument used by calvinists. I posted other Scripture that coincides with it. Comment on the topic at hand and leave the snide remarks out.
     
  14. Ransom

    Ransom Active Member

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    Ransom, I brought up Romans 9 not as a part of my argument, but as an argument used by calvinists.

    And as jw pointed out, you misrepresented its use by calvinists. The point stands.
     
  15. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    How can I use it wrong, when I directly quoted it? The weak argument "it means what it means" won't work. Do you have somthing positive to add to the discussion of God's mercy? If not, please refrain.
     
  16. Ransom

    Ransom Active Member

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    How can I use it wrong, when I directly quoted it?

    By lying about what Calvinists say it means.

     
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